spoken to
her since their last long talk; it had never been a part of her plan not
to be friends with him.

Slowly Jack read the first of her letter, while Frieda and Jean fairly
danced with impatience and Olive stood with her arm about Carlos, who
had crept in softly behind Ruth. The boy was to stay behind at the ranch
with "The Big White Chief" he adored, yet he was solemn and desolate at
the thought of the departure of the girls.

"Jim is desperately sorry, but he can't get here in time to see us start
to-morrow," Jack read slowly. "Don't cry, Frieda. He sends you a dozen
kisses and says you are to buy the biggest doll in New York as soon as
you get there, as a present from him."

Frieda sniffed, her eyes brimming with tears. "Jim's silly; I'm too big
for dolls," she answered, "and I just can't see why he don't come home!"
She was about to break down and cry, but Jean knew this would mean the
signal for them all to weep, so she stamped her foot indignantly.
"Frieda Ralston, don't you dare shed a tear for Jim Colter or any other
man," she commanded. "If Jim does not love us enough to want to say
good-by to us then he can stay away. Come on, baby. I can smell hot
gingerbread, so let's get some. Aunt Ellen thinks we are going to starve
to death when we leave the Lodge. Perhaps we may have to eat solid gold
food like poor King Midas, now that Rainbow Creek has given us the
golden touch." Jean flitted from the room, holding Frieda's hand, and
Olive and Carlos followed. When they had gone Ruth sat on the floor in
front of the fire near Jack's couch, waiting while she finished her
letter.

By and by Jack looked over at Ruth thoughtfully, and there was an
expression in her gray eyes that made Ruth suddenly shield her face with
her hand.

"Jim has written me everything, Ruth," Jack said. "Please don't be
angry. He and I have been such pals since I was a little girl, and he
didn't want me to go away thinking he had neglected me when I was ill.
As though I would! Foolish old Jim! He has written me too about some
wicked thing he did years and years ago. Now he thinks maybe he ought to
have told me before, because I might not have wished him to run the
ranch and to take care of our money if I had known." Jack was smiling,
though the tears were running down her cheeks. "And the last thing he
writes is--that he won't be hurt if I get a man to superintend his work
and to look over his accounts. Of course Jim is willing to con